A couple of weeks ago, the National Association of REALTORS® announced some upcoming VC investments. One of those investments was for an app called Updater.
If you’re not familiar with Updater, its main purpose is to make the moving process infinitely easier for homebuyers. In one place, it gives them a way to update and set up everything before the move (mailing addresses, utilities, internet services, you name it)—things that, otherwise, a homebuyer might not think about until after the move, such as when they have to book days off work to set up those services, and their mail keeps getting forwarded by an increasingly impatient new owner at their last address.
This is the second time NAR has invested in Updater. From a statement by a managing partner of the VC arm, it’s because they’re confident there’s a very clear need for this kind of additional service among homebuyers, and it gives real estate agents the chance to provide a level of service that quite honestly, most buyers—especially first-timers—don’t even know exists.
Now, normally, services like this are the type that a real estate agent pays for, and it’s well worth the investment. What you may not know is that there’s a way to get it for free.
How to Provide Moving Services at No Cost
Let’s look at Updater a little closer. Did you know it has an integration with zipForm Plus, the national transaction management member benefit provided by NAR, and that with that integration, zipForm Plus users can get a paid Updater account for free?
Also, that with that account, you can invite your clients to use Updater’s services from within your transactions?
It’s actually really easy to set up. Here’s all you have to do:
- From within a transaction in zipForm Plus, click on the Partners tab.
- Scroll down to find Updater in the list, then click Claim Account. This will take you to the account creation page.
- Enter your email address and create a strong password.
That’s it! Now, you have an Updater account, and from here, there’s a lot of stuff you can do. The first place most users head to is the Branding section, where you can set up all your own branding for clients to see when you invite them to use the app. This includes things like your headshot, social handles and a personal message.
You can also set up a personalized invitation, which your clients will automatically receive a few weeks before the closing date set in zipForm Plus. Updater reads the date from the transaction so you don’t have to remember—it just happens.
What Else Can You Do With Your Transaction Management?
Actually, there’s quite a lot! From the same Partners tab, you can find all kinds of tools designed to make your job and your clients’ lives much easier—from requesting and processing earnest money deposits online to advances on commissions, and more. Nearly all of them are available for free with a zipForm Plus account.
Soon, it’ll be even easier to connect them to your transaction management. Keep an eye out for the upcoming Marketplace, where you’ll be able to find these extra services and more, and plug them into your transaction management solution in a few taps of a screen!
Sarah Sabatino is the partner marketing manager at Lone Wolf Real Estate Technologies. Visit www.lwolf.com/integration-partners/updater to learn more.
